Harmonious Foods

Layered dishes for a delicious Shabbos.

There is famous kugel in Jerusalem of old known as Shalom Bayit (harmony in the home) Kugel. It has three very distinct layers, each a kugel in its own right. It has a potato layer, Yerushalmi Kugel layer (sweetened brown noodles), and kishke. If these three layers can all get along together and make for a delicious kugel, then so can we.

We decided to have a little fun with this theme and present you with an entirely harmonious, Shalom Bayit menu. Each dish has at least two distinct layers. Your Shalom Bayit will never be (or taste) the same! Enjoy...

Gefilte Fish Loaf With Salmon Center

A gorgeous presentation and easier cooking method than for regular gefilte fish.

2 pound/s Favorite Mixture For Gefilte Fish

2 tablespoon/s Onion Finely Grated

3 Eggs

1 tablespoon/s Salt

1/2 teaspoon/s Pepper

6 tablespoon/s Sugar

1 tablespoon/s Oil

4 tablespoon/s Fine Matzo Meal

3 tablespoon/s Almonds Ground

2 Long Salmon Fillets About 5 Oz Each

Pink Glaze:

5 tablespoon/s Heaped Mayonnaise

2 tablespoon/s Heaped Ketchup

3 teaspoon/s Red Horseradish

Grease a rectangular loaf tin and line with baking paper. Leave a few inches of baking paper hanging over both long sides of the tin.

Mix all ingredients except the salmon fillets thoroughly.

Turn half of the mixture into the prepared tin packing it down well with the back of a spoon.

Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and place them in the center of the loaf leaving an edge of at least 1 inch all around.

Push the fillets about 1/2 inch down into the fish mixture.

Cover with the remaining fish, press it down well again and smooth the top.

Fold the baking paper over the loaf.

Wrap aluminum foil all around the tin and place it into a slightly larger baking tin.

Pour a few centimeters of boiling water into the large tin.

Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes at 360F/180°.

Once well cooled turn out the loaf onto an oval serving dish.

TIPS: To add a colorful and tasty touch sprinkle chopped fresh dill all over the salmon fillets. To avoid greasing and lining a regular baking tin try silicon. To serve cover with a layer of the pink sauce and let it drip down the sides.

Potato Meat Kugel

I found this recipe for a latke and I was not interested in frying anymore. I decided to make this into a kugel for Shabbos and it was a huge hit. I think next time I might add more chopped meat.

Potato Kugel:

3/4 cup of oil

3 eggs

6 large potatoes

1 small onion

2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Meat Filling:

1 large onion, diced

oil for sautéing

1/2 pound ground beef

4 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Meat Filling: Sauté the onion in oil. Add the meat to the pan and continue to sauté until no longer pink. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cool. Potato Mixture: Heat up the oil. Grate the potatoes and onion in the food processor. Add the beaten eggs to the mixture. Add the salt and baking powder and mix well. Pour in the hot oil and mix well. Pour half the mixture in a pan (smaller than 9x13). Cover with the meat mixture and then pour the rest of the potato mixture on top. Bake at 200C for about 1 hour.

Shalom Bayis Kugel

This is a great kugel that looks spectacular and pleases everyone. The idea of this kugel is to have 3 favorites in one bite. In order to accomplish this, each kugel needs to be made separately, baking one kugel at a time until all 3 are stacked. Usually the layer on the bottom is kishke, then yerushalmi and then potato. Assemble how you want according to preference.

Potato Kugel:

8 potatoes

5 eggs

1c boiling water

salt and pepper

Yerushalmi Kugel:

1c oil

2c sugar

6 eggs

salt

pepper

2 bags fine lukshen

Kishke:

2 pkgs of kishke

water

Yerushalmi Kugel: Cook lukshen according to directions and let cook. Heat oil and sugar in pot, stirring constantly so it does not burn or get hard. ** Be very careful because hot sugar can burn very badly and be very painful. Simmer and add lukshen. Keep stirring. Let coll off, then add eggs, salt and pepper. Pour into pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the top is hard and will not cave in. Kishke: Empty the 2 packages into a bowl. Stir in water and mix until a liquidy consistency. When yerushalmi kugel is ready, pour over it and spread evenly. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the top is hard. Potato Kugel: Grate potatoes by hand or in processor. Drain the extra water. Add eggs and mix well. Pour in boiling water, seasoning to taste and some oil. Pour over kishke and bake in oven for 2 hours.

TIP: Change up the order depending on how you like it and which you think is the sturdiest.

Pastrami Chicken

Everyone has some kind of version of this recipe. I like this one because there is no mayo and the bread coating actually stays on the chicken.

1 pkg thin chicken cutlets

mustard

1 pkg pastrami

4 eggs

garlic powder

2c flour

1 c bread crumbs

Smear mustard on one side of cutlet. Place a pastrami strip over it and roll. Close with a toothpick. Let sit in refrigerator for 1 hr.

Wisk eggs with garlic and place in shallow bowl. Place flour and bread crumbs in separate plates each.

Dip the cutlet in the egg then into flour. Dip back into egg and then into bread crumbs. Repeat for all cutlet.

Place each cutlet roll on a greased 9x13 pan and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour

TIP: Don't forget to remove toothpick before serving.

Rosemarie Cream Trifle

A trifle is an amazing dessert because it serves a lot of people and looks absolutely gorgeous (see photo and you will agree). While this recipe does have a lot of steps it is really worth it. Try it for your next simcha or just for your family (when they have done something really good).

Cake

2 Eggs

2 cup/s Sugar

1/2 cup/s Oil

1 cup/s Orange Juice

1 teaspoon/s Coffee

1 cup/s Hot Water

3/4 cup/s Cocoa

1 3/4 cup/s Flour

1 pinch/es Salt

2 teaspoon/s Baking Soda

1 teaspoon/s Baking Powder

1 tablespoon/s Vanilla Sugar

Cream

6 ounce/s Rosemarie Cream

4 ounce/s Margarine

4 ounce/s Praline Paste

4 Eggs

For the Cake: Dissolve the coffee in the hot water. Beat eggs, add sugar until fluffy. Add the oil and the orange juice. Add the coffee and cocoa alternately to the eggs. Add the salt, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Bake in 2 9" round pans at 350F for about 40 minutes.

Topping: Beat 2 Rich whips (non-dairy creamer) with 1 cup confectionary sugar. Spread 1/3 whip cream on bottom of the trifle bowl. Place one of the cakes on top and then half of the chocolate cream. Repeat ending with whipped cream. Garnish as desired with sugared pecans, chocolate shavings or Viennese crunch.

TIP: You can make this with store bought chocolate cake. It will save some time but might not taste as great.

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About the Author

Yael Weiser is the founder of www.CulinaryKosher.com which she runs from her home office (i.e. the Kitchen) in Jerusalem. When she is not cooking for her hungry children she is helping others find the perfect recipe. Culinary Kosher is a kosher recipe sharing community with over 3,000 recipes, menus, and parties. It also has a greeting card section and lots of other great features including your own private kitchen for all your online cooking needs. Please come visit.

I want to know about the concept of "sin" due to Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge. The Christian concept of sin revolves around the fall of the man and the "original sin." Does Judaism view it the same way?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Adam and Eve were punished according to their actions. In other words, God laid down the conditions for Adam and Eve to live in the garden, provided they would not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. However, if they were to eat from that tree they would be punished by experiencing death. (If they had not eaten from the tree, they would have remained immortal.)

This sets down the basic principle in Judaism of Reward and Punishment. Basic to this is that every person has the choice of doing good or bad. When a person chooses "good" – as defined by God – he is able to draw close to God. In other words, every individual has a chance to "gain salvation" through his own actions.

My understanding of Christianity, however, is that the Original Sin has infected all of mankind to the point where individuals are incapable of achieving salvation through their own initiative. Man is "totally depraved" and therefore his only hope of salvation is through the cross.

This belief is contrary to the teachings of Judaism. From the Torah perspective, an individual does not need to rely on anyone else to atone for them. In Judaism, sins can be "erased" altogether by sincere repentance and a firm resolution never to repeat the mistakes.

For more on this, read "Their Hollow Inheritances" by Michael Drazin – www.drazin.com

Yahrtzeit of Moses in 1273 BCE (Jewish year 2488), on the same day of his birth 120 years earlier. (Consequently, "May you live to 120" has become a common Jewish blessing.) Moses was born in Egypt at a time when Pharaoh had decreed that all Jewish baby boys be drowned in the Nile River. His mother set him afloat in a reed basket, where he was -- most ironically -- discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and brought to Pharaoh's palace to be raised. When Moses matured, his heart turned to aid the Jewish people; he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Jew, and he fled to Midian where he married and had two sons. God spoke to Moses at the Burning Bush, instructing him to return to Egypt and persuade Pharaoh to "let My people go." Moses led the Jews through the ten plagues, the Exodus, and the splitting of the Red Sea. Seven weeks later, the Jews arrived at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, the only time in human history that an entire nation experienced Divine revelation. Over the next 40 years, Moses led the Jews through wanderings in the desert, and supervised construction of the Tabernacle. Moses died before being allowed to enter the promised Land of Israel. He is regarded as the greatest prophet of all time.

Lack of gratitude is at the root of discontent. In order to be consistently serene, we must master the attribute of being grateful to the Creator for all His gifts. As the Torah (Deuteronomy 26:11) states, "Rejoice with all the good the Almighty has given you." This does not negate our wanting more. But it does mean that we have a constant feeling of gratitude since as long as we are alive, we always have a list of things for which to be grateful.

[Just before Moses' death] God said to him, "This is the Land that I promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 34:4).

The Midrash says that Moses pleaded to live long enough to be able to enter the Promised Land. He surrendered his soul only after God instructed him to enter Heaven and inform the Patriarchs that the Israelites had come to their Land and that God had indeed fulfilled His promise to give the Land of Israel to their descendants. To fulfill God's will was dearer to Moses than his craving to enter the Land.

It is only natural to cling to life, and the thought of leaving this world is depressing. However, if a person develops the attitude that he lives only in order to fulfill God's will, then life and death are no longer polar opposites, because he lives to do the will of God, and when that will requires that he leave this world, he will be equally obedient.

The seventh day of Adar is the anniversary of Moses' death. He wanted to enter the Promised Land so that he could fulfill the commandments and thereby have a new opportunity to fulfill the Divine wish. He surrendered his soul willingly when he was told that there was a special commandment for him to perform, one that could only be achieved after leaving this earth.

We refer to Moses as Rabbeinu, our teacher. He not only taught us didactically, but by means of everything he did in his life - and by his death, as well.

Today I shall...

try to dedicate my life to fulfilling the will of God, so that even when that will contradicts my personal desires, I can accept it with serenity.

With stories and insights,
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